An outboard motor trim switch is used in connection with pivoting an outboard motor mounted on a stern of a boat between an upright operating position and an angled trailering position. The trim switch is mounted in an opening in a cowl of the outboard motor. The cowl is a cover which encloses the top or engine portion of the outboard motor. The trim switch is electrically coupled to a battery and a reversible motor. When actuated, the trim switch closes the circuit between the battery and the reversible motor causing a shaft of the reversible motor to rotate in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. The shaft, in turn, is mechanically coupled to a gear drive. As the shaft rotates, the gear drive pivots the outboard motor to either raise the motor from the operating position to the trailering position or lower the motor from the trailering position to the operating position.
In the trailering position, the outboard motor is angled such that a lower portion of the motor including a propeller is positioned slightly away from the boat stern and vertically above its operating position level. In the trailering position, the propeller and lower portion of the motor are out of the way as the boat is slid onto or off of a trailer. In addition to using the trim switch to raise the outboard motor for trailering, the trim switch may be actuated while the boat is in the water to raise the propeller to facilitate untangling lines, tree roots, etc. which may become wrapped around the motor propeller during operation of the boat.
Generally, a trim switch comprises a three position momentary rocker switch having an actuator or rocker which rocks or pivots between the three positions. In the center or neutral rocker position, the trim switch is open and the reversible motor is off. In one of the two off center rocker positions, the switch is actuated or closed to bridge a set of terminals. Bridging the terminals energizes the reversible motor to rotate the shaft is a clockwise direction. In the other of the two off center rocker positions, the switch is closed to bridge a different set of terminals energizing the reversible motor to rotate the shaft in a counterclockwise direction. When the shaft rotates in one direction, the gear drive pivots the outboard motor upwardly to the trailering position. When the shaft rotates in the opposite direction, the gear drive pivots the outboard motor downwardly to the operating position. The trim switch additionally includes an outer housing, which is secured with a clip to the outboard motor cowl to hold the trim switch in position, and a rocker support housing which supports the pivoting rocker and defines an interior region in which terminals and a terminal bridging contact are disposed.
A trim switch is susceptible to having water splashed against it because of its position on the outboard motor cowl. If water leaks between the rocker and the rocker support housing and enters the housing interior region, serious problems may result. Water in the rocker support housing interior may result in short circuiting two or more terminals possibly burning out the trim switch and/or the reversible motor. Even if short circuiting does not occur, the water may cause corrosion of the terminals or the terminal bridging contact. In either case, the operational life of the trim switch may be adversely effected.